PAIRED ADULT

WORMS

The Life Cycle of Schistosomiasis

Schistosomiasis affects more than 200 million people worldwide. The
LUNG
parasitic larvae live in fresh water and can penetrate human skin, placing
people at risk through everyday activities such as washing laundry or
fetching water. Inside the victim's body, adult female worms
lay thousands of eggs that cause significant damage to LIVER
internal organs, most commonly from scarring the
intestines, bladder, kidneys, liver, or lungs. Children
suffer the most from schistosomiasis, which causes FEMALE
AND
poor growth and impaired cognitive function. The MALE
disease is completely preventable and can be WORM INTESTINE
controlled through an annual inexpensive drug PAIR
treatment, health education, and access to safe water 5 6
EGGS IN
and sanitation. THE
TISSUES

Contaminated Fresh Water SCHISTOSOMULUM BLADDER

1 MIRACIDIA 3 4 7
2 CERCARIA

1 Parasitic 2 Larvae called 3 Infecting the 4 Released into 5 The schistoso- 6 The worms 7 The eggs,
eggs in miracidiae snails, the the water, the mulae mature lay thousands released into
fresh hatch from the miracidiae cercariae into worms in of eggs that the water in
water. eggs then seek multiply, penetrate human the blood supply cause damage urine or
out certain producing skin, transforming of the liver, as they work feces, restart
species of larvae called into larvae called intestines, and through the cycle.
snails. cercariae. schistosomulae. bladder. tissues.

The Carter Center/Graphic by Al Granberg